LL.M. Admission

LL.M. Program Eligibility

If from the United States, applicants to the LL.M. program must have received, or expect to receive by the summer before their intended matriculation at Yale Law School, a juris doctor degree with high rank from a law school that is a member of the Association of American Law Schools or approved by the American Bar Association. If from outside the United States, applicants must have graduated, or expect to graduate by the summer before their intended matriculation at Yale Law School, with high rank from a law school or law faculty with standards substantially equivalent to those of U.S. law schools. Ordinarily, applicants must have earned, or expect to earn, a degree that entitles them to practice law in their home countries; see here. All offers of admission are contingent upon graduation. The Law School reserves the right to review or revoke admission if an applicant fails to graduate with his or her class.

Applicants to the LL.M. program must have a strong record of academic accomplishment. Additionally, some professional or law teaching experience following the completion of the first professional degree is encouraged. Admission is ordinarily not available to students who have obtained or are pursuing an LL.M. or an equivalent degree from another law school in the United States.

Admission is generally available only to individuals planning careers in law teaching and scholarship. The LL.M. program at Yale Law School is not designed to prepare students to take the New York State Bar Examination.

Schedule

Applications are accepted for the 2019–2020 academic year from August 1 to December 1, 2018, at 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time. The December 1 deadline should be understood as the date by which all applications to the LL.M. program should be submitted online through LSAC's Electronic Application Service of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). All required supporting documents, such as transcripts, should be received by the LSAC by the December 1 deadline.

Application Process

Register for LSAC’s LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

You should register and pay for LSAC's LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (CAS) at least four to six weeks before your first law school application deadline. It takes approximately two weeks for LSAC to process a U.S. transcript or letter of recommendation from the time that it is received; transcripts from non-U.S. institutions may take longer to process. LSAC will not send your Law School Report to us until all official transcripts—and your TOEFL score, if required—are received. It is your responsibility to make certain that LSAC receives all of your materials in a timely manner. More about transcripts ...

International applicants must register for LSAC's Document Assembly Service. We also require LSAC's International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service.

Questions about the LL.M. CAS should be directed to LSAC at (215) 968-1001.

Arrange for letters of recommendation

We require a minimum of two, and accept a maximum of four, letters of recommendation. Generally, these letters should be written by faculty members who know you and your work well. Applicants in teaching or practice may substitute a letter from an employer or supervisor. You may submit up to four letters; however, your file will be deemed complete when two letters have arrived. Letters of recommendation must be sent through LSAC’s Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service. More about letters of recommendation ...

Take the TOEFL

If your undergraduate education or first law degree was not completed in the United States, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, or Singapore (in an English medium of instruction school), you must submit your official score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Admissions Committee requires a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test. Applicants who have at least a four-year degree from an educational institution in the United States or one of the countries listed above may request a waiver of the TOEFL. More about submitting your TOEFL ...

Learn more about Yale Law School

You are welcome to visit the Law School or browse the Law School's website. We do not typically conduct evaluative interviews; in certain limited cases, we may reach out to some applicants during our review process for further clarification or discussion of their application materials.

Complete the application form

We require all applicants to the LL.M. program to submit their applications through LSAC's Electronic Application Service. Submit your application online through the LSAC electronic application no later than the December 1 deadline.

Complete the two essay questions and include them, along with your curriculum vitae, as attachments to your application

Two separate essays are required as a part of the application to the LL.M. program. Please note that a personal statement is not required and cannot be substituted for or take the place of these required essays.—In no more than 350 words, describe your reasons for seeking admission to Yale Law School's LL.M. program, and explain how the LL.M. degree fits in with your plans for teaching after you graduate. Please indicate your areas of interest and what arrangements, if any, you have made concerning employment.—In no more than 500 words, describe your scholarly research agenda for the near future. Please articulate what you think are the most important issues in your chosen field, and explain why.

Pay the application fee of $75 (USD)

The application fee is $75 (USD), payable through LSAC by credit card. The application fee is separate and in addition to any fees charged by LSAC for its application, credential assembly, and authentication services. This fee is non-refundable and will not be credited to tuition in the event of admission.

Receive confirmation of your application

You will receive notification from us when we receive your application and, again, when your application is complete. If you have not received notification by January 15, 2019, please contact us. We typically make admissions decisions in mid-March.

Financial aid is not applied for or determined until after admission. At that time, we will provide admitted applicants with information on how to apply for financial aid. Financial aid is available to all admitted applicants and is based on need. Learn more about your options for financial aid.